This Hero is Sleeping!



Claude and Tiana found themselves moving through the mist without any response from their friends, They turned around and looked but it was useless. The only way they could tell left from right and right from left was through the spirits.

Though Claude had managed to get a good grasp of direction in the mist thanks to his experience living in the Mystic forest, that only applied to a personal direction and not the direction of the place itself since it always changed befoe he could afford to get used to it.

With no other choice but to continue following the spirits, they kept calling their friends' names and tried to approach their friends as well but to no avail.

After giving up and just walking with the spirits, they finally found themselves at a spot where the thick mist had started to flow away.

And there, in front of them was a large lake, and beyond it a small wooden lodge sitting lofty.

Mos and algae had preyed on the bottom of the lodge while the wood seemed moist and damp from the rain.

The place was surrounded by just as many spirits if not more than the rest of the place. All of them giggled, laughing, and cheering.

"A lodge/ In the woods? Is this how elves live?"

Tiana slowly shook her head.

"I don't know. I had seen a village when I was escaping, not a lodge like this."

"Weird. Let's check it out."

Tiana gently clasped Claude's sleeves and shook her head.

"No," she said. "I don't think we should be doing that.."

"Why?"

"I… I just have a bad feeling. Let's keep looking for the others."

Claude didn't want to do anything that made Tiana uncomfortable. Unlike with Elric, he trusted themselves with Tiana and Erika's backs but not them with his.

The boy who had lost the ability to trust after a staunch betrayal, no matter how much he tried to stop it from consuming his self, it was not possible for there to be no effects at all.

That didn't mean he thought they would stab his back.

But instead that they could not protect him.

Just like back then.

The one person who could save him and had saved him from many problems was no one but Elric. In that case, he wanted to go out and look for his friend too.

"Hey Hey, Claudey."

A voice rang in his ears.

Claude gently clasped the amulet hanging from his neck and grinned.

"There you are, Lord of Shadows."

"I see that boy is gone, how about handing over your body while we can?"

"I'll hand you to him sooner."

"Ok, no. Well anyway, I smell a lot of spirits, and a fuck ton of blood. Like, buckets and buckets of blood."

Claude gulped.

"Maybe we should get out of here," he spoke to Tiana… but she was gone?

"Tiana?"

"S-stay away!"

A feeble voice screamed as he turned around and found Tiana hiding behind a small boulder.

"What?"

"You! Stay away. This place has already driven you mad and now you're talking to yourself."

"Oooh! Elf! Me likey, did I tell you I had an elf girlfriend once?"

Vampire then Elf.

"I am not talking to myself, I am talking to a ghost."

"Eek! Ghost!!"

"Eek! Ghost!!"

"Why are YOU scared?"

Claude flicked the amulet as hard as he could.

The Lord of Shadows screamed in pain.

They stopped eventually and Tiana came back to him.

"Now, let's get out."

Claude turned around with Tiana, but none of the spirits followed.

They were all waiting near the hut and giggling as if urging them closer.

They could go out anyway…

"Navigating that fog without the spirits…"

"We'll just be running in circles till we die."

With no other choice, the two of them caved in front of the spirits and crossed over the lake The abundance of flowers of all kinds in between the wild grass made for a strangely spacey walk. Tiana tried her best to hop over every flower but trampled a few under her feet and started all over.

Claude, on the other hand, started meditating around the lake.

"What are you clowns doing?"

Asked the Lord of Shadows.

It was a major stretch for him out of everyone in this world to call them clowns, but little they could do.

"Well…."

"I don't wanna go in."

They were scared!

***

Spirits started flocking around Hyden and the three idiots. Disappointed that the Lord Leres couldn't follow them along for he had to engage in the grand mission of guiding lost lambs for a few days, the three idiots had no choice but to follow Hyden.

"I didn't think I'll have to come back here so soon."

"Right?" Asked Marcus at Hyden's mutterings. "We just left and back already. If they already had other people looking for the girl they should have told us."

The general consensus had been established in the group of idiots without much need for dialogue. The people that took the robed girl in were probably the helpers of the helves like themselves and were doing nothing except what was asked of them.

"Wait," Tomas said. "You've already been here?"

"Yeah," Hyden answered, his arm throbbing. "It was quite the intense short while I had spent at this place."

"I can bet."

"Well anyway, let's call our guides."

"Puuun?" Bagpipe asked.

"Yes, guides—Hooh!"

Hyden gasped.

He… he was able to tell what Bagpipe was saying! Hyden grasped his head and hook his hair.

"Am I becoming an idiot? No way, I don't want to turn into an idiot!"

"See, we told you bagpipe is normal."

"It's all about opening the part of your brain that you have never used."

"Puuun puun puuuuuuun."

"These little bastards! I am not an idiot like you, do you get me? No way! No chance! Never!"

Opening parts of your brain? What was that if not idiocy? Not ready to face this revelation yet, Hyden took in a sharp breath and turned toward the forest again. His hands stretched out, he muttered a chant.

"[Spirit Magic: Spirt Call]"

A simple skill, a simple spell.

Spirits from all around started flocking around Hyden at his mutters and danced and giggled.

"Do you see anything?"

"What guides was he even talking about?"

"Puuuuuuuuuuun!"

"Hah! Suck on that, your friend can see the spirits."

Hyden stopped again.

He understood bagpipe again! His heart was almost about jump into his hands. He would let his goddess down by being such an idiot!

Hyden took in more deep breaths. Not yet, he couldn't fall just yet.

He had to start moving.

"Alright, bagpipe guy, since you can see the spirits make sure none of these two idiots lose their way."

"Puuuun!'

"Spirits, elf village, the sidewalk is wide, drive."

"He just wanted to make a reference."

"Not even fitting."

"Puuun!"

"It was funny okay?!—AAAH!"

Idiocy was a plague.

It spread.

***

Lord Leres was sitting on the rocks once more. His lips curved up in a bright smile.

It was a good day! A good day! After being tied up to a rock for a whole night he finally got to take his revenge, albeit against a different group.

Revenge was revenge and it was as sweet as pure maple syrup.

It was when Leres was planning to go retire before he ran into any more of those crazy clowns did he finally meet someone else in the way.

People in robes. From head to toe, stopped in front of me.

"Boy," the said. Their voice gravelly and annoying.

"Tsk. Speak."

Leres had no room for bullshit. He was a lord after all. Destned for greatness. Legendary Lrod Lerees from the Legendary Legend of the Legendary Lord Leres!

"Robed girl. You seen?"

"Robed girl?"

Leres' mind went back to the people that had tied him up to a rock.

Robed girl? He had seen! Sure as hell had.

"Where is she? Tell us or die."

"Goddamn it. Mutts and their large tongue, slothering around as if there is nothing they fear."

"What you say?"

"You seek a child in robes like your own?"

"Yes."

"Inside that forest she has gone."

Leres suprressed a laugh from wihtin. Trauma was awaiting them, pure unbridled trauma!

"Word of warning you shall head. Listen to my voice and only then tread."

If he waas going to be insulted as a lord, then he'd just double down. People liked to play along anyway.

"Speak like normal person, bastard."

"What's that pretentious speech? We don't speak your language and stiill talk better than you."

"Idiot. Loser. Fish."

FISH!

FISH AGAIN!

These guys didn't even play along little bastards!

"Inside! That damned forest, alright? That's where she wntr."

"You saw? You sure?"

"Saw with my own two eyes!"

He was lying he had no idea where she was!

But not like he was going to say that now. Sentenced to the hole they were. Fuck around and find out.

"Ok, you lead the way."

"Excuse me?"

"You, you tell us path."

"I—I am a little busy—"

The elves picked up the man and dragged him along.

Fuck around and find out, Leres was going to.

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